Grain mold is a major yieldreducing disease especially in earlymaturing sorghum cultivars, and in ar

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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Grain mold is a major yield-reducing disease
especially in early-maturing sorghum cultivars,
and in areas where the crop flowers and matures
under high humidity due to continuous rains, and
warm conditions. Cultivars with white grain are
particularly affected by this disease.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Grain mold drastically reduces both quantity and
quality of sorghum grain and affects germination
of seeds. Yield losses range from 30 to 100
depending on cultivar type, time of flowering,
and maturity.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Molded grain may contain certain mycotoxins.
So, consumption of molded grain may produce
symptoms that include body ache, fever, general
body heating, eye burning, and loss of appetite.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold

• The symptoms of grain mold depend on the fungi
  involved, and the time and severity of infection.
• There are 3 types of infected grain
• Severely infected grain fully covered with mold,
• Normal-looking grain with slight discoloration,
• Apparently normal grain with no external symptoms.

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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
The molded grain show pink, orange, gray, white,
or black discoloration depending on the fungus
involved.
Another symptom associated with grain mold
complex is small seed. These seeds fail to mature
properly and shrink after drying.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Management Avoidance of the disease is one of
the most important control strategies. Avoidance
can be practiced either by delaying sowing dates
or by growing medium to late maturing cultivars
such that the grain filling and maturity stages
occur after end of the rains. Sowing date
adjustments may require irrigation, which is not
always available to resource-poor farmers.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Management Reduction in mold damage is possible
if the crop is harvested at physiological
maturity. (Click on the word physiological
maturity for information) Chemical control
appears to provide some protection against grain
mold, but it is neither practical nor economical
except for saving valuable sorghum seed in small
fields.
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Lesson 1 Grain Mold
Management Growing available tolerant /
resistant cultivars like CSH 5, CSH 6, SPV 462,
CSV 4, PVK 801 etc. will help to overcome the
grain mold.
Grain Mold Resistant Cultivar